Open today 10 am – 5 pm

Penn Museum Earns American Alliance of Museums’ Reaccreditation Status, Signifying Excellence in its Practices

July 26, 2024

Jill DiSanto, Public Relations Director

215.898.2956

jdisanto@upenn.edu

Museum Main entrance.
Penn Museum’s Warden Garden is the prelude to its Main Entrance.

The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (Penn Museum) has earned its fifth consecutive accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition afforded to museums in the United States. Across the country, only 3% of 33,000 museums are AAM accredited.

First accredited in 1975, the Penn Museum is one of only 36 AAM-recognized institutions in Pennsylvania.

To earn the distinction, museums are required to conduct a year of self-study and undergo a site visit with a team of peer reviewers, who evaluate its accessibility, collections stewardship, public service, educational outreach, diversity of audiences, scholarly standards for primary research, strategic planning efforts, healthy workplace dynamics, and other measurable criteria.

In their report, AAM reviewers highlighted the Penn Museum’s exemplary practices, such as its:

  • Collections stewardship, environmental conditions, and access for relevant stakeholders
  • Center for the Analysis of Archaeological Materials
  • Unpacking the Past program for middle schoolers, now entering its 10th year
  • Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)-related efforts in righting past approaches and proactively addressing new requirements
  • New leadership positions, such as the Director of Collections and Chief Diversity Officer
  • Physical accessibility and building upgrades, as well as the formation and actions of its Community Advisory Board.

Reviewers from AAM also spotlighted the Museum’s state-of-the-art collections facilities and laboratories, noting “…there can be no doubt that the Penn Museum is at the top of its game in this field.”

In addition, the AAM reviewers praised the leadership of Dr. Christopher Woods, the Williams Director of the Penn Museum, for his willingness to engage in conversations designed to advance the museum in a forward direction, while confronting its complex history.

“As the Museum embarks on a new strategic plan centered around the ethical stewardship of cultural heritage from around the world, this decision is affirmation that we are on the right path,” said Dr. Woods. “AAM accreditation has been the museum field’s mark of distinction for more than 40 years and we’re delighted to receive this validation of the Penn Museum’s relevance and impact.”

AAM’s Accreditation Commission, an independent and autonomous body of museum professionals, determines whether a museum should receive its accreditation status.

In a letter to Woods informing him of their decision, the AAM Accreditation Commission identified the Penn Museum “a world-class institution” with a commendable NAGPRA approach that goes “…beyond the letter of the regulations and embracing the spirit of what the regulations were intended to achieve."

Alliance accreditation brings national recognition to a museum for its commitment to excellence, high professional standards, and continued institutional improvement. Developed and sustained by museum professionals for more than 50 years, the Alliance’s Museum Accreditation program is the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation, and public accountability. It strengthens the museum profession by promoting practices that enable leaders to make informed decisions, allocate resources wisely, and remain financially and ethically accountable to provide the best possible service to the public.

“Accreditation is a monumental achievement,” said Marilyn Jackson, AAM President and Chief Executive Officer. “The process demonstrates an institution’s commitment to best practice and is flexible enough to be accomplished by museums of any size.”

The Penn Museum’s next reaccreditation process will begin with another self-study in 2033.

###

About the Penn Museum
The Penn Museum’s mission is to be a center for inquiry and the ongoing exploration of humanity for our University of Pennsylvania, regional, national, and global communities, following ethical standards and practices.

Through conducting research, stewarding collections, creating learning opportunities, sharing stories, and creating experiences that expand access to archaeology and anthropology, the Museum builds empathy and connections across diverse cultures

The Penn Museum is open Tuesday-Sunday, 10:00 am-5:00 pm. It is open until 8:00 pm on first Wednesdays of the month. The Café is open Tuesday-Thursday, 9:00 am-3:00 pm and Friday and Saturday, 10:00 am-3:00 pm. On Sundays, the Café is open 10:30 am-2:30 pm. For information, visit www.penn.museum, call 215.898.4000, or follow @PennMuseum on social media.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS

The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) is the only organization representing the entire museum field, from art and history museums to science centers and zoos. Since 1906, we have been championing museums through advocacy and providing museum professionals with the resources, knowledge, inspiration, and connections they need to move the field forward. For more information, visit aam-us.org.